A wave of flight cancellations and diversions hit Asia, the Middle East, and Europe on Wednesday morning as airlines rerouted aircraft to avoid the Pakistani airspace, which remained closed following India’s precision strikes on alleged terror sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The escalation, one of the most serious between the nuclear-armed neighbours in over two decades, has left northern airspace across the subcontinent nearly empty of civilian aircraft, with both India and Pakistan suspending operations at key airports and multiple international carriers announcing route changes.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed more than dozens of flights cancelled and rerouted as of Wednesday morning. Airlines from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia confirmed emergency mid-air changes and longer detours over the Arabian Sea and Central Asia to keep aircraft out of the conflict zone.
At least 52 flights to and from Pakistan were cancelled on Wednesday morning, hours after the strike, according to FlightRadar24, which monitors flights worldwide. There were 57 international flights operating in Pakistan’s airspace when India struck, according to a Pakistan army spokesperson.
By around 1pm on Wednesday just a couple of flights were seen landing in Pakistan’s major cities, including one flight coming from Abu Dhabi to Lahore.
On Thursday, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said that its airspace had been reopened for flights, but it remains unclear when airlines will resume their regular operations.
In India, 27 airports were closed for commercial operations in northern and western parts, close to the Pakistan border, until 10 May. The shutdown resulted in the cancellation of at least 140 flights on Wednesday.
Indian carriers have cancelled 430 flights on Thursday – about 3 per cent of the country’s total scheduled flights. While airlines in Pakistan cancelled over 147 flights, which amounted to 17 per cent of their daily schedules, according to The Economic Times.
The affected Indian airports include some popular tourist destinations like Amritsar, Ludhiana, Shimla, Dharamsala, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner, as well as Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gulf carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Flydubai also cancelled flights to cities in northern Pakistan and India, including Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot, and Amritsar. Emirates urged passengers “not to proceed to airports” in affected cities and confirmed that flights to Karachi remain operational.
Etihad said three of its flights en route to Pakistan late on Tuesday were forced to return to Abu Dhabi. Services between Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have been suspended until further notice. Flydubai, which had initially suspended flights, has resumed limited operations to cities like Multan and Faisalabad, citing ongoing safety assessments.
A spokesperson for Qatar Airways said passenger safety remains their priority.
KLM said it would not fly over Pakistan until further notice. Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Korean Air have also adjusted routes, adding several hours to some Europe-bound journeys.
Taiwan’s EVA Air and China Airlines said that their long-haul flights to London, Milan, Frankfurt, and Rome have been either rerouted for refuelling stops or cancelled entirely. Korean Air said it had switched to a southern route bypassing Pakistan, now flying over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India.
Lufthansa’s Delhi-Frankfurt service was seen rerouting southwest near Surat, adding distance compared to its usual route. Airline shares across the region, including EVA Air and China Airlines, dipped on Wednesday.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines said the situation was being closely monitored and raised concerns about “GPS spoofing and operational disruptions” near conflict zones. It warned these could become serious flight safety issues if not addressed.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the closure of several northern airports including Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Dharamshala and Amritsar. Domestic carriers such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India have suspended services to these destinations, with Air India offering refunds and rescheduling waivers to affected passengers.
In Pakistan, all civilian airspace has been closed for 48 hours. The military said 57 international flights were passing through its airspace when Indian strikes began.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel guidance on Tuesday night. British nationals are now advised against all travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and against all travel to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The advisory urges travellers to remain vigilant, monitor local news, and liaise with airlines for real-time updates.
Travellers currently in India or Pakistan are encouraged to register with the FCDO’s travel alert system and consult the GOV.UK travel pages before making new plans.
